Spring/Summer 2010 – Deborah Lippmann

It’s spring! The sun is shining, flowers are blooming and what better way to celebrate this glorious, technicolor time of year than to paint your nails in one of this season’s hottest colors…putty.

I know; putty isn’t normally synonymous with fashion. It tends to conjure up images of a guy named Chuck, holding a trowel, laying bathroom tile. Not exactly sexy. But after testing Deborah Lippmann’s Waking Up In Vegas, her new spring creme putty shade, I was ecstatic, not just by the clever name and luscious, taupe-gray color but by the quality of this product.

Deborah Lippmann is well known in the fashion industry for her signature nail lacquers and as THE manicurist working with celebrities and top designers around the world. Surprisingly, manicurist was what she called her “waitressing job.” A talented and professional singer, manicures paid the bills while allowing her to sing at night. But she had such a knack for the trade that she soon became one of the most desired professionals in her field and her nail lacquers are proof of this skill and concern for beautiful nails.

Within each elegantly shaped bottle (becoming the first nail polish we’ve listed as packaging porn) is a formula free of formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate with no animal testing. The beneficial ingredients- Okoume extract, a natural nail strengthener from the African Okoume tree; Biotin, a B-complex vitamin for cell regeneration; and green tea, with antioxidants that aid in strengthening nails, will give your nails a healthy dose of nourishment while looking gorgeous. And of course in homage to her musical background, all of her shades are named after songs!

If you want a great all-purpose neutral shade Waking Up In Vegas (named for the Katy Perry song) is it. The warm, subtle brownish lavender undertones would work with a range of skin tones and it may not be flashy, but this is a shade that WILL get noticed, as proven by the numerous compliments I’ve received.

While this polish has enough pigment and thickness to almost get full coverage in one coat, Deborah Lippmann’s online step-by-step manicure tutorial recommends that two thin coats be applied; which I found achieved the ideal opacity and smoothness. It also has an impressively fast drying time, and a lovely crème finish with a hint of shine. I saw the tiniest bit of chipping by the third day, but considering I work with my hands a lot this polish had great resistance. Those with a gentler touch and use base and topcoats would probably find it has a long life.

Is it sold out at the moment? It very well may be. If so, I suggest trying one of the other shades the review team received: I’m Not Innocent, a yummy peach crème; Between the Sheets the sexy fuchsia posing with the kitten above; and Supermodel a sheer vivacious red orange created with model Dree Hemingway and part of a series of shades developed alongside celebrities like Cher, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mary J. Blige. Or just take a gander at any of the other stunning shades offered by one of the best in the industry!

Be sure to check the review team’s comments below for their reviews on these fantastic Deborah Lippmann’s shades!

Kari is a Minneapolis based artist who drinks too much coffee and enjoys taking pictures of the strange foods she eats. She’s always running 10 minutes behind despite her clock being an hour fast. You can find her musings on art, music and food at her blog, Tuna Fish Casserole.

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.

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Comments

Mine are the lucky nails shown above that are not only playing with a kitten (aww!) but shown in the gorgeous Between the Sheets (ooh!)

To say I love this shade is putting it mildly. It has all the boldness of red, but in a less expected shade. It’s a bright pink, with just enough purple in it to bring it to the fuchsia side, which I have to say is a fabulous side to be on! The color is fun and trendy, without being so out there that it’s only going to last a season or only be a pedicure color (you know the kind of colors I mean!)

Best of all, what a formula Deborah has created! As @kari mentions, it has a really fast drying time. And a consistency that a baby bear would really appreciate (not too thin, not too thick…just right!) And it wore for a full 4 days before I got a chip (with a top coat). Very impressive.

Between the Sheets is gorgeous! I am sooo getting that shade. I really like Deborah Lippmann polishes. They are gorgeous. I have only owned a few of the mini versions. And I hated the bottles. I am too clumsy and made a mess with my huge hands! But I was really happy with the colors and formula. I wonder if the bigger bottles would be easier for me to use.

Admittedly these polishes are a little higher priced than what I usually spend on nail polish, but it is SO WORTH IT!! The silky smooth finish, the gorgeous color, the great formula…I’m loving it!

Plus, thanks to Deborah Lippmann’s knowledge she shares on her site I learned a few manicure tricks-like rolling the bottle in between my hands NOT shaking it! And storing it in the fridge for longer life! She clearly knows what she’s doing and cares about her product and how it’s used.

And @kellie76, I don’t think you’d have any problems with these bottles. I’m not sure what the mini ones looked like, but these larger ones are easy to handle and one of the nicest looking polish packages I’ve seen.

I had Supermodel, the bright coral-ly red polish. It was a great color for my tosies, warming up my cold feet for summer sandal weather.
What I like most about this polish is its sheer-ness. One coat is a nice tint, but layering it up shows off that color that you see in the bottle.
I like trendy polish for my toes in the summer so I would have really liked that Putty, but the Supermodel surely is more flattering. It’s a god-thing.

I’ve been seeing various versions of the putty color, and I’m not sure if I can get behind it although I’m intrigued by the unusual creamy color. I never tried Deborah Lipmann’s polish, but I want to knowing it includes all that great stuff for nail health.

Great review @kari! These sound like polishes I need in my collection. And that picture with the kitty and Between the Sheets is awesome @stef! I never probably would’ve picked up the polish in the bottle (usually go for the reds and hot pinks instead), but on – it’s gorgeous!

@turboterp, thanks! And it is definitely worth checking out. I usually buy polish just based on who offers the shade I like, but I’m really impressed with the quality of this polish. You won’t be disappointed!

@jpal, I’m the same way. In the past I didn’t think about what I’d put on my nails, but after really scrutinizing ingredients it’s a little frightening, so it’s nice to hear about companies that make extra efforts to remove harmful ingredients.

@brooklynshoebabe, I’d definitely try kellie’s advice if you’re feeling hesitant about gray. I tried a different gray recently and it made me look like a zombie! But this one was gorgeous. It really depends on the undertones.